Confession #19 - Messes & Kids

My kids love to get messy sometimes.

Confession: It took me a very long time to be ok with my kids getting messy.

I just don't know what it was, but there is something about them needing to stay clean that was so important!

Then I realized, I had the chance to have fun with my food as a kid, so really they need to have fun with their food as kids.

It was hard at first, but then I realized - what's the worst that could happen?

I'd have to wipe down another surface?

And now, my kids are happier - because they just get to be kids, and not be worrying about Mom wiping them all through their meals.

Cute messes.

Confession #18 - Eggs

Eggs.

Eggs are a food I really have to be in the mood for, to eat without gagging.

Confession: I love fried eggs, with a slightly runny yolk.

Mmmmm fried eggs remind me of my Dad, too.

Not too runny, just enough that when you put your fork in it, there is a little yolk.

- I know -

Gross? Maybe.

Delicious? YES.

Mmm, mm eggs.

Confession #11 - Fruit

La la la la la ........

FRUIT!

Glorious fruit.

Confession: Fruit is my favorite food.

Sweet, crisp, juicy fruit.

Cold grapes from the refrigerator....

Strawberries sprinkled with sugar....

Bananas sliced in a bowl with a little brown sugar and milk....

Hey, because -

:o)

Wild blueberries (aka: "power pellets") on a long walk as a kid through the forest at my grandmother's cottage in Nova Scotia....

Cool, crisp, refreshing watermelon on a hot summer's day....

Feeding my two-year-old daughter tiny clementine slices while she dances around my feet....

Sweet, ripe pineapple....

My first bite of a star fruit as a kid....

(Kind of like a cross between an apple and a tart strawberry.)

Remembering my mouth going numb after eating my first few kiwis....

Sweet white summer peaches....

Honeycrisp apples....

Fruit has the best memories.

.....

Except honeydew and cantaloupe.

And other random melons.

Blechhhk.

Nobody likes melon.

But still -

Mmm, mmm fruit.

FAT

If you couldn't tell from the heading, I am having a fat moment.

Why does weight have to be a struggle? An existence? Does anyone feel like there should be a simple co-inhabitance with themselves and the food they love? Lol.


I LOVE food. LOVE it. But I don't have to live in it. I think that all things in moderation is great, unless your body can't process it for crap! Exercise is dandy, unless you have a horrible back problem (such as mine) which limits you to basically swimming. Which is not readily available everywhere!

I think that you should be able to enjoy the foods you love as you live your life. Nobody should have to starve themselves their whole life to feel comfortable in their own body. I'm at that point!

When I was younger, I wasn't really fat, or chubby, but I felt like it because other children made me feel that way! Oh the childhood poison cruelty bread that we all had a slice of and served to others in return! After peaking at my high weight in high school, I donated blood and was pretty sick afterwards. I couldn't eat anything for two days, and lost TEN pounds. Terrible - but awesome - and felt like that was a good launch point for me to start losing weight. I suddenly realized that if I didn't eat that last piece of cake, it was ok. Yes, someone else would eat it. But I was living in AMERICA. If it was a cake from Costco, I could go buy another one. Literally. Down the street.

When I started feeling like everything was always going to be readily available to me, I stopped eating everything that simply looked good, and started dropping the pounds like mad. Two months later, I decided to join the swim team at school, and partnered with my 'you-don't-have-to-eat-that' mojo, I lost 50lbs in 5 months. I had a tan, was toned, and healthy - and found a new love for apples. :o)

Now, what happened?!?!?! I'm a mom of two, my body has held onto everything through both pregnancies. Everyone makes it out like losing the weight is so easy but my old tricks don't work!!! I want cake..... and sometimes, I let myself have cake too often. But I can't just not eat bad food and watch my weight melt off anymore!!! I feel like my body gave up.

So, I'm totally frustrated. TOTALLY FRUSTRATED. And I'm not a religious Oprah watcher - sometimes... I can't do some of the shows they have topics on - but I totally feel motivated to start caring about my body, and stop giving in to foods like... yes, I should enjoy cake. Because no matter what, I'm a strong believer in enjoying your life. And I'm sorry - I don't care who you are - but you can't enjoy life if all you can eat is tofu, lettuce, and lean meat until you die. (Or whatever else your diet is)

EVERYONE NEEDS A LITTLE CHOCOLATE CAKE ONCE IN A WHILE!


Anyway.

I refuse to be this uncomfortable anymore. It's not about how it's unfair to my kids, because when they want me to do things, I'll have to go sit down, and it's not about how it's unfair to my husband, because he married a svelte hot mama and now has the aftermath to deal with, it's not about how I view those things that way, it's about ME and me being uncomfortable and tired of being uncomfortable.

I remember feeling healthy and like I could run a marathon three times in one day - the energy, the motivation... I want that back. (Just like I could build the pyramids if I have enough sleep!)

It's goal week!


Well.

It's goal day. We'll see how long I last. But I want to take better care of myself, and see if the weight comes off. And I'm going to take more time for me. (I'm looking into taking some college classes about baking and pastry art, and learning how to do all the things I dreamed about but never imagined could be real! Like blowing sugar, like they blow glass! THAT is amazing!!!!)



I'm feeling excited.



Nervous ---



But excited. Hopeful. Nauseous.



:o)